Jagjaguwar
Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon has been the subject of a lot of intrigue since his debut. The story of his recording For Emma Forever Ago in a cabin in Wisconsin was almost as omnipresent as its breakout song “Skinny Love.” The narrative then became that Vernon was a reluctant star choosing to turn reclusive instead of embracing his newfound fame. But honestly all of that forced mystique seems far from the truth. Vernon followed For Emma less than a year later with the Blood Bank EP worked with everyone from The National to Kanye West and now returns just two years later with his self-titled sophomore album.
One thing not lost in all the myth making was just how good For Emma was. Vernon masterfully created spare soundscapes and his watery haunting falsetto could flip from a howl to a whimper on a dime. If For Emma was steeped in heartbreak his eponymous followup is an emergence of sorts. Vernon steps out of the forest with his most urgent songwriting to date especially on “Perth” and “Minnesota WI.” The songs are still comfortably Bon Iver but the former’s surging marching band beat and the latter’s rejection of his familiar falsetto are a declaration that there will be no fear in moving forward. The songs have washes of electric guitar and horns that blend and oscillate in the mix with multiple vocal tracks. It’s a credit to Vernon that these songs still sound so deeply personal and sparse.
The biggest stretch and the album’s best song is “Beth/Rest.” Having more than a few elements of a cheesy power ballad and a generous helping of auto-tune this is Bon Iver doing anthemic in a way you wouldn’t expect. And just like everything else he’s done so far it works beautifully.
